Statement of Significance (as of designation - April 11, 1989):ALBACORE, launched in 1953, was an experimental, diesel-electric submarine that represented a revolution in naval architecture. Designed to be a true submarine, in which surface characteristics are subordinated to underwater performance, she was much quieter, faster, and more maneuverable than any earlier submarine. Albacore provided the model for all future U.S. Navy and most foreign submarines. Albacore returned home in 1984 and is now in a permanent dry berth as a prime exhibit at the Portsmouth Maritime Museum.